1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof, and, more particularly, to a refrigerator, in which air blast fans in storage chambers are controlled so as to reduce a power consumption rate, and a control method of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator comprises refrigerating and freezing chambers for respectively storing foods in cold and frozen states, refrigerating and freezing chamber heat exchangers for cooling air in the refrigerating and freezing chambers by heat-exchanging, refrigerating and freezing chamber fans installed adjacent to the refrigerating and freezing chamber heat exchangers for circulating cooled air into the refrigerating and freezing chambers, and a compressor for compressing a refrigerant to supply the refrigerant to the refrigerating and freezing chamber heat exchangers.
In case that a temperature in the refrigerating or freezing chamber of the above refrigerator is higher than a predetermined temperature, the refrigerating or freezing chamber fans together with the compressor is turned on so as to reduce the temperature in the refrigerating or freezing chamber.
FIGS. 1A to 1E are graphs illustrating variations in temperature of refrigerating and freezing chambers of a conventional refrigerator in relation to operations of refrigerating and freezing chamber fans. More specifically, FIG. 1A is a graph illustrating the on-off operation of the compressor, FIG. 1B is a graph illustrating the on-off operation of the freezing chamber fan, FIG. 1C is a graph illustrating the on-off operation of the refrigerating chamber fan, FIG. 1D is a graph illustrating variation in the temperature of the refrigerating chamber in relation to the operations of the compressor and the refrigerating chamber fan, and FIG. 1E is a graph illustrating variation in the temperature of the freezing chamber in relation to the operations of the compressor and the freezing chamber fan. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1E, although the compressor, the refrigerating chamber fan and the freezing chamber fan of the conventional refrigerator are simultaneously turned on, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber increases for a designated time and then decreases.
However, since the freezing chamber fan of the conventional refrigerator is continuously turned on even when the temperature of the freezing chamber does not decrease for a designated time from the starting of the compressor, the freezing chamber is not efficiently cooled in proportion to supplied electricity.
The above problem may be generated when an external temperature exceeds the load of the compressor and the temperatures of the refrigerating and freezing chambers cannot be simultaneously decreased even by the maximum operating capacity of the compressor.
Further, the above problem may be generated in a cooling system, in which the refrigerating chamber heat exchanger and the freezing chamber heat exchanger are connected in series and a refrigerant compressed by the compressor passes through a condenser and then passes through the refrigerating chamber heat exchanger and the freezing chamber heat exchanger sequentially.